The Exile Files: The Maiden and the Bear
by dmnq8
Summary: How Chouji finally succumbed to Tenten, admitting his feelings for her. Companion read for 'Bonded', set between chapters 33 and 34. Lemon. Rated M.


A/n: Takes place 8 months into the exile.

* * *

The Maiden and the Bear

Chouji and Tenten were home alone, guarding the tree house. The other exiles had gone scouting, hunting and training. Chouji was in the process of grilling several fat, juicy salmon in the fire pit. Tenten was upstairs in the house, presumably sharpening her weapons.

Why it was that Naruto had decided to leave them home and not someone else, Chouji didn't know. He'd looked at the blond's knowing smirk as his blue eyes skipped between Tenten and Chouji, but he hadn't understood it.

The beefy boy knew that everyone thought he and Tenten were meant for each other, including Tenten herself, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe it, despite how often she found reasons to be around him. He'd watched everyone leaving, some smiling toothily, some making odd statements about things that made no sense. Cherries? Honestly. Tenten had blushed prettily.

That was another thing, Chouji thought as he turned the fish. He definitely thought Tenten was pretty. She was quiet, but sharp-tongued when she had to be. She was a fierce fighter, but not aggressive around her peers. He found her tame and delicate femininity very appealing. He didn't like Ino's aggressive sexuality or Hinata's new cold resolve in everything she did. And Sakura was just scary. Violent and scary. No, Tenten's ways and conservative dressing habits were more to his tastes.

He reddened now at remembering how she'd turned and smiled at him when everyone had gone, leaving them alone in the spring morning. She was probably just being polite, Chouji thought now. The smell of fish wafted on the cool breeze.

* * *

Tenten wasn't sharpening her weapons. She was at a window in the tree house that afforded her a view of Chouji's big beautiful body. She hid partially behind one curtain, watching as he deftly cooked the main meal of the day. He hissed slightly when he burned the fingers of one hand, shaking his fingers in the air briefly. Tenten smiled.

She wanted him so much! Tenten was violently in love with the young man beneath the window. Her heart beat wildly whenever he was around. Chouji's shy smile, his deferential ways, his kind and gentle manners all served to make everything in Tenten sit up and take notice. And his body! Tenten moaned softly now as she looked at his thick forearms. The thought of Chouji putting his big hands on her body had her muscles tightening, tensing as if right before a fight. She got goose bumps just thinking about pressing herself next to all that manliness…God, she was drooling again. She wiped her chin as Chouji took the fish out of the fire pit and placed them on a tray nearby.

* * *

Chouji straightened up from arranging the fish on the tray and held his heavy hair off the back of his neck for a moment, letting the breeze cool him. He released his hair and began work on the rice, measuring it out and pouring it into a big wooden bowl to be washed down by the river.

He was just coming back from this chore when an odd grunting sound and a shriek came from the tree house. Chouji picked his head up and ran for the house, careful not to drop the rice: food was precious out here.

* * *

Tenten hurled several kunai at the huge brown bear that was sniffing around the fish. It knocked over the tray, already picking up several. The kunais stuck in its hide, angering it. The bear roared. Tenten rushed it, her knives held ready.

Chouji arrived on the scene to find Tenten doing glorious battle with the enraged bear. Tenten's weapons flashed in the sunlight as she dodged, attacked and dodged again. Chouji did drop the rice this time.

She was magnificent.

Tenten, scared, was still enjoying the fight. It challenged her in a way she'd never been challenged before. The bear was huge, but lean. It was early spring, so the bear must have just woken up from hibernation. Which meant it was probably ravenous and would be extra vicious. Tenten blinked sweat from her eyes as a narrowly missed blow from a paw swiped at her head. Her bun on that side came undone. Her hair obscured her face for a critical few seconds and she felt the bear crash into her. Tenten went flying.

She stifled a scream as she landed against the base of one of the trees that supported their house. The bear charged and Tenten, quite unable to stand for the moment, watched in dread.

Another roar had her eyes shifting behind the oncoming beast to see Chouji coming in with a flying kick. The bear was knocked aside as if it weighed nothing. Chouji landed in front of Tenten, legs braced, as the bear rolled to its feet, snorted, growled and charged again.

Tenten saw Chouji's muscles gather as he braced himself. The bear reared as it attacked and Chouji caught its front paws, holding his head back as the bear leaned in, trying to bite his throat out. Chouji's thick legs dug in, his heels sliding slightly in the earth as the bear pressed forward. Chouji let out a growl himself as one claw caught him under his right eye. Chouji's chakra erupted then and Tenten gasped as he released the paws to wrap his big hands around the shaggy head.

Chouji twisted fiercely and broke the bear's neck in one move.

The bear collapsed with a dull thud that had dust billowing up around it. Chouji stood over it, breathing hard.

Tenten, still sitting against the tree where she'd fallen, looked at the bear. Chouji turned to her in concern after a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I think I hurt my leg," Tenten managed. She tore her eyes from the bear to look up at Chouji. She let out a soft cry and tried to stand. "You're hurt!"

Chouji gingerly touched the gash that ran down his cheek from his eye. His hand came away very bloody. He looked at this thoughtfully as Tenten hobbled toward the ladder. Chouji, seeing her struggle, rushed to give her assistance.

Tenten thought it was quite bad enough that she'd had to be rescued like some damsel in distress, but now to find that she needed help up the ladder! She scowled…until Chouji picked her up gently in his arms and gave a single bound, landing them in the tree house with a small jolt. Tenten would rather have the bear attack her again than have Chouji put her down. The feel of his big body against her was too delicious. She considered pretending to faint in order to prolong the sensation, but then she remembered his injury and reluctantly asked to be put down.

Chouji watched as she got a clean cloth and dipped it in the water they kept on hand in the house for emergencies. She came to him and had him sit on one of the cushions against the wall as she sat near him. She cleaned his face and wound of blood, wiping his neck where it had dripped. She reached into the first aid pouch that Sakura had made for everyone to carry. It contained common antidotes for various poisons, herbs for poultices and homemade medicines.

Tenten applied a small amount of blood-clotting agent to Chouji's wound before using her limited abilities with Mystical Palm. The wound stopped bleeding and healed, but not as neatly as she wanted it to. She viewed the results of her efforts sadly.

"I'm not as good as Sakura or Ino. I think it's going to leave a scar," Tenten lamented. "Does it hurt very much?"

Chouji, spellbound since he'd seen Tenten take on the bear, had been taking in the light floral scent of her, the way her fingers were gentle on his skin. He could be stabbed through the chest with a sword just then and his answer would have been the same.

"Not at all." Had her eyes always been such a clear, crystalline brown?

Tenten looked into his eyes, too, noticing that they were even lighter than her own, though small. This close, she noticed that he had a few faint freckles across the bridge of his nose. Why was he staring?

Chouji noticed the blush stealing across her cheeks. Her long-lashed eyes dropped to her lap and Chouji saw the pulse in her neck beating frantically. Now that he thought about it, his own heart was pounding. _Does she really like me? For real? _For the first time in his life, Chouji thought about kissing a girl. This girl.

Tenten, mortified and elated that Chouji was finally noticing her, sat trembling beside him, waiting to see what he would do. She peeked at him from beneath her lashes. He was looking at her mouth.

"Tenten," Chouji said in a whisper.

"Yes?" her voice was almost squeaky with excitement.

"I'm sorry I didn't say this sooner…"

"Yes?"

"But I was kind of distracted…"

_"Yes?"_

"The thing is…"

"Yes, Chouji?" She was panting in anticipation. He was going to say he liked her, too!

"You need first aid yourself."

"Wh-huh?" Tenten blinked in confusion. Chouji finally raised his eyes to hers.

"Your leg? You hurt your leg, didn't you? Let me take a look at it."

Tenten, severely disappointed, snarled and stood up. "My leg is fine! Honestly, Chouji, you are so dense!" She spun and tried to storm away.

Chouji caught her as she fell, her leg buckling. "Tenten, please be careful," Chouji said in alarm. He lowered her to the floor so that her legs were stretched out in front of her. "Where is your injury?"

Tenten didn't answer, glaring at him mutinously. Chouji examined both legs with his large hands, probing until she winced involuntarily.

Her ankle, Chouji saw. She must have landed on it wrong. He felt along the fine bones delicately, his thick fingers holding her dainty foot up as he applied his own small knowledge of Mystical Palm to her ankle.

Tenten felt like swooning at how wonderful it felt for Chouji to be touching her. God, his masculinity was just so sexy! He wasn't rough like Kiba and Naruto were, not overly pretty the way Neji, Sasuke and Sai were, not a silent specter like Shino, Not wild and rowdy like Lee and not bored and boring like Shikamaru. He was perfect. Just perfect. And he wasn't scrawny like any of the other boys were, he was powerfully built. Well, to be fair, so were Shino and Naruto, but she shuddered at the thought of being with either one of them. She much preferred Chouji's solid beefiness. There was muscle but also meat to hug and snuggle, though his fat was gone. Her eyes ran over the flat stomach, the big arms and thighs, the square jaw.

She sighed before she could catch herself. Chouji looked up at her. Tenten abruptly decided to take matters into her own hands. Enough was enough.

Chouji uttered a small sound of surprise as Tenten grabbed his head and pressed her lips to his.

Five seconds passed.

Tenten, realizing that her gesture wasn't being returned, pulled back slowly, her eyes glassy with embarrassment. She tried to mumble an apology, her heart breaking as she scrambled to her feet and walked (her ankle felt a lot better) to the doorway leading out of their tree house.

Chouji grabbed her wrist right before she passed out of reach.

He'd been shocked, too shocked to do anything, but that had passed now. He snagged her wrist before she could leave, his heart ready to come out of his chest at what he was about to do.

Tenten turned, her breathing frozen in hope, as Chouji stood up as well. She was pulled firmly against the gorgeously firm body and held in arms thicker than her waist as Chouji's head lowered to hers.

It wasn't a perfect kiss. Tenten had more experience at the act than he did, clearly, but she quickly showed him how it was done and he learned.

His lips were wonderfully juicy. Tenten couldn't keep from biting them, licking them. Chouji paused briefly, but then his arms tightened and he aped her actions with similar ones of his own.

Lust and desire exploded in Chouji for the first time in his life.

Tenten's mouth opened in a silent scream as her hair was grabbed, her head pulled back as Chouji took charge of the kiss, making it his own. Tenten offered her tongue and it was accepted with a thoroughness that left her breathless. Her legs found their way around his thick waist and she felt his hands come up behind her shoulders to hold her steady. She was glad he released her hair.

Chouji suddenly wanted Tenten more than he'd ever wanted any food in his life. He loved the taste of her, how kissing felt, how it made him feel. He felt like a man. He felt capable and strong and wanted. He felt like a winner.

Tenten broke the kiss off as she wheezed for air. Chouji tried to hold her head still as he sought her mouth again.

"Chouji," She managed. He looked at her in question. "Touch me," she said.

"Huh? I am touching you."

"No," she smiled at his innocence. "Touch my body, take my clothes off."

Chouji's eyes bulged roundly. She couldn't possibly mean…"Your clothes? _Off?_"

She nodded happily. Regardless to how reluctant he was, she wasn't letting this day end without making love to him. She was determined.

Chouji saw her meaning and swallowed. So. Today would be the day he really _did _become a man. Still…

"Tenten, I don't know…"

"I love you, Chouji. I want to make love with you."

"Oh, my _God. _Um. O-okay." He felt his face going up in flames and frowned, trying to suppress his embarrassment. The only reason he didn't refuse was because he'd realized he loved her too when he saw her battling a bear so bravely. He didn't say it, though. That was too much for him just then.

He knelt, keeping her legs around his waist. She sat on his lap while he took her shirt off with shaking hands. His desire was quickly being replaced with nerves. Mother of all that was tasty, was he really going to do this??

Tenten helped him. She stood briefly, took off her pants, then sat back down on his lap, liking how his hard thigh muscles felt under her butt. She undid the other side of her hair and combed her fingers through her tresses as Chouji took in the sight of her nude body.

Well…lord. So this was what girls looked like naked. Her breasts weren't nearly as large as Ino's, which he thought was a merciful thing: he'd be even more intimidated if they were. Her body was slim, but firm and slightly muscled. Her hips curved gently, her shoulders sloping up to her graceful neck. Chouji licked his lips.

"How…how do you want me to touch you?"

Tenten knew she had to get Chouji to lead or he would never become confident with sex. And she planned on having a lot of sex with him. A virgin she might be, but Tenten knew what she wanted.

"First, take off your clothes so I can see you too." She giggled at the look of fearful resignation on his face. He was such a sweetheart!

Chouji undid his shirt with unsteady fingers, noticing the blood on it for the first time. Tenten had him stand while she pulled his pants down. She placed a quick peck on his soft manhood, making him yelp and jump back. Tenten laughed. He blushed furiously.

Tenten lay on the floor, spread and waiting for Chouji to approach her. He did after a few moments.

Chouji was not at all sure what he was supposed to do. He lay next to her, his head propped on a hand. She smiled encouragingly at him. His eyes traveled over her body hesitantly, stopping when it came to the juncture of her thighs. Finally he touched her arm softly, stroking it with a finger, watching to see her reaction. Tenten closed her eyes.

Somehow, her not looking at him made it easier. He moved closer and ran the finger up her shoulder, along her neck, over her lips. He wanted to kiss her again. His hand cupped her cheek, turning her face towards his as he bent his head to taste her lips again.

This kiss was better than the first. Chouji had the hang of it now and he executed it masterfully as Tenten felt her body heating up. She turned toward him, moaning softly as Chouji's hand ran down her bare back, brushed her buttocks, released it, brushed, released, then grabbed it firmly. Oh, _yes! _He was finally taking charge!

Chouji rolled onto Tenten, supporting his weight with one forearm as he continued kissing her. What had he been hesitant for? The feel of her flesh in his hands was like nothing he'd experienced before. He kneaded her buttocks, her thigh, ran the flat of his hand up her belly until it rested on her breast.

Tenten arched into his palm and he closed his hand around the softness, rolling the peak between his thumb and forefinger. She released his mouth to moan sharply at how good that felt. Chouji, distracted by her body beneath him, decided to taste all of her.

Her skin was dewy with perspiration, but he found this the perfect seasoning to her succulent flesh. He licked, bit, kissed, nibbled his way all over her torso, causing Tenten to sigh and call his name in delight. By accident, his hand brushed the moisture between her legs and she spread them wider for him. He was brought up short by this development.

Chouji moved to lie between her legs and investigate this most private place on her body.

Tenten bit her lip at feeling his breath on her secret place but did not move for fear of scaring him away.

Chouji ran one finger along the sides of the moist opening. There were sparse, very short hairs on the top, but the sides were bare of any hair. Her skin was smooth and velvety soft here. He used two fingers to spread the halves of her opening apart, gazing at the tiny pink hole in fascination. Then he noticed the small bud of flesh that swelled even as he looked at it. It reminded him of his own flesh which was hardening against the floor.

A sudden, urgent need to sample this flesh overcame him and Chouji tasted her with one long, slow lick with his flattened tongue.

_Better than the best barbecue pork, by God!_

He kept at it, closing his eyes in pleasure, licking every crease and crevice he could find. He didn't even feel Tenten's hands grabbing his hair as her hips bucked and quivered beneath his face.

Tenten panted as her climax built quickly. She was used to masturbating and making herself cum and it usually took a lot longer than this. This…Chouji…who would have thought he could give such good head? Tenten thought crazily as she came with a cry of fulfillment.

Chouji picked his head up at her cry, his mouth and the area around it wet with her juices.

"Tenten?"

She took a moment to catch her breath. When she answered it was with a single word.

"Now."

"Oh," Chouji said uncertainly, coming to lie over her. "Okay. Help me."

Tenten wrapped her legs around his hips. She'd caught a glimpse of his hard member and it sent a frisson of apprehension through her; it looked very thick.

Chouji felt her guide him to the entrance he'd been tasting and pressed forward. Nothing happened. He frowned as he tried again. He barely got the tip of himself in. He sat up on his heels, taking her with him, so that they were in their original position with her in his lap.

Tenten had been gritting her teeth at the pain. She hung onto his neck now as he positioned himself again and grabbed her hips. This time he pulled her down sharply as he jerked his hips upward.

That did it.

Tenten didn't scream, but she did gasp, her eyes going wide as her head was thrown back. Chouji leaned his head against her chest at how tight and hot and wet it felt. He remained like that until Tenten's shaking subsided a bit.

It was she who began the movements, rising up and down slowly, the resistance her pussy put up against the wide organ inside her almost killing her with pleasure. Chouji moaned into her chest, but he held her hips and took over the motion.

Tenten came again just then, further lubricating the proceedings and making Chouji cry out at the convulsions he felt from her. She lay on his strong shoulder as he moved her hips with increasing speed, moaning constantly. She hugged his neck weakly, marveling at the fact that he was like a bear himself with all his hair and the robust way he was making love to her slender body.

She found herself on her back and wondered if she'd fainted for a few moments. Chouji was pounding her into the wooden planks, slamming into her body as she let go at last and screamed loudly, again and again as she came a third time. Chouji came two strokes later, shouting her name as he stiffened above her.

"Tenten," Chouji gasped as he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. "I love you."

She smiled, but was too tired to reply just then. She'd gotten her man.

They slept.

* * *

When they woke, it was to hear Naruto's indignant voice outside.

"Jesus, fuck and shit! What the bloody _hell_ happened here? A bear!"


End file.
